perksofbeingami: December 2014

My Christmas Makeup

Friday, 26 December 2014

So yesterday was Christmas Day, the only day a year that everyone is a morning person! I hope you all had an amazing day, spent loads of time with your family, got some lovely presents and obviously doubled your weight in food and drinks! I'm currently snuggled up in a onesie with some disaronno to my left, so I should probably write this post before that hits me. Anyway, Christmas is a time that I love to do my makeup, even if no one in my family ever takes any notice, it just makes me feel a lot better and happier.

I always go for a red lip. Always. Without fail. Well for the past two years anyway, I wasn't really into makeup before then. Last year I think I wore a Rimmel shade, I can't exactly remember, but this is definitely going to be my Christmas tradition from now on! I hadn't really planned what else I'd be using on the day so I just picked at my makeup collection in the morning!

My base consisted of Smashbox's Photofinish Primer, I have a sample of this and I am desperate to get the full size, it's amazing! Then I used Rimmel's Match Perfection Foundation, it's a low coverage light foundation but it does cling to dry patches a little which is annoying, but it's the only foundation pale enough for me at the moment. For concealer I used Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer, which is too dark for me so I mixed it a little with a lighter concealer from MUA. Still too dark but oh well.

Moving on to eyes; I put MAC's Bare Study Paintpot all over the lid as a base, to make my eye makeup last all day and into the evening. For shadows, I used a mixture of two palettes from Makeup Revolution, the Essential Shimmers and the Iconic 1, the one pictured above is the Essential Shimmers. From this I applied the third shade from the top all over the lid on top of Bare Study. The second shade from the bottom was run through my crease and outer V. The fifth shade from the bottom was run along my lower lash line, to add more definition to the look. I then applied a gold shade from the Iconic 1 on the outer side of my lid, to add a golden shimmer and just more glitter! I topped off the look with a coat of my Benefit They're Real Mascara.

I used the Naked Basics 2 to fill in my eyebrows, using the shade Frisk. I also used this palette for my highlight too, using Skimp on top of my cheekbones, in the inner corner of my eye, down the bridge of my nose and in my cupid's bow. To contour I used my Elf Contouring Blush duo, and applied it in the hollows of my cheeks. I used Rimmel's Stay Matte powder to keep all my makeup in place and achieve a matte finish.

The last thing I had to do was lips obviously, this year I chose MAC's Russian Red, it's literally the perfect red, especially for Christmas.

What makeup did you wear on Christmas Day?

MAC Russian Red

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

34 comments

I may have got another MAC lipstick, but I won this in a giveaway so it's ok, right? I have bought a few MAC lipsticks over the past few weeks, and my bank balance now hates me, so winning this was a pleasant surprise! I entered Cat's giveaway over on Je Suis Cat, and then had the choice to pick a lipstick, I've been wanting a nice red lipstick for a while, so of course I had to go for Russian Red.

I seem to have every colour in a MAC lipstick, except red, so I was happy to finally complete a collection. At first I thought I'd kind of have a horrible Snow White look from this lipstick, as I'm so pale, I just thought it would clash awfully making me look as pale as a white sheet. Surprisingly, Russian Red is a blue toned red which is perfect for my pale complexion; the cool tones really make the lipstick stand out against my skin. It has a matte finish, which prolongs the wear time and creates an opaque look instantly, definitely making it my favourite MAC finish. Even though it has a matte finish, it isn't drying on the lips at all, it has a creamy formula which applies easily, and stays put on the lips. This lipstick lasts through eating, drinking and general day to day stuff, meaning I can wear it without wondering where my lipstick has drifted off to.

This red is such a versatile shade, I don't think I've ever seen someone that it doesn't suit. Red is difficult to find a perfect shade for you, but this is just amazing on anyone. It is one of my favourite red lipsticks now, it's that true perfect red. It is 100% going to be my Christmas lipstick.

Also, who doesn't love MAC packaging? I cannot wait to buy a lipstick holder to sit on my desk just so I can display my MAC beauties, and some of my other lipsticks. You really get your moneys worth with MAC, and even though they keep putting up their prices, we all keep running back don't we? It's a naughty habit, but we love it! I think an orange toned red is next on my list, for the spring..

What MAC lipstick should I pick up next?

All I Want For Christmas is Beauty, and a Football Shirt?

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

8 comments

Some of you are probably looking at this wishlist thinking 'what the hell, why does a beauty blogger want a football shirt?'. If you didn't know, I'm probably one of the most obsessed football fans, much to a lot of people's surprise. I've been to pretty much every home game this season, only missing one for a blog event. So yeah I'm not your average cliche beauty blogger, oops! I support Southampton FC, always have, always will. Their 2014/15 Season Home Shirt would be a dream Christmas present for me. If you follow me on twitter, you'll probably be sick of my football spam, but last week was the most amazing week ever and with more to come over the next two weeks, I'll be posting about it all soon.

Now onto the beauty side! A Marc Jacobs Perfume has been something I've wanted for ages, and the Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs is just a perfect scent. I spray it every time I go into Debenhams or Boots and it just gets better everytime. I'm awful with smells so I won't even try and describe it. Next up is Illamasqua's Cream Pigment in Hollow, everyone says this is the holy grail contour product for pale skin, just what I'm looking for as everything else I've tried has been way too orange. I also like the fact that it's a cream product because I think it will blend better than a powder contour.

If you're not eyeing up the NARS Virtual Domination Palette, I think there is something seriously wrong with you. It's such great value for money, the packaging is beautiful and it's NARS. With two limited edition shades, the well known Laguna Bronzer and two other blush shades, who could say no? The Body Shop's Christmas collections always wow me, this year they didn't so much as I only really like one of the scents, but I truly love it so I guess it's all ok. It obviously had to be the Vanilla Brulee scent, and this Vanilla Brulee Tube of Treasures is the best gift. It contains shower gel, body butter, body polish and a crinkle lily, all for £15. It has really nice packaging too, so there's no need to wrap, just pop in a cute bag!

The last thing on my Christmas list, is a huge list of Makeup Revolution products! They've released so many amazing products over the past month or so, and I'm dying to try some, my favourites are; Radiant Light (all 3 shades), Essential Mattes 2 Palette, Mermaids vs Unicorns Palette, Blush and Contour Palette in Golden Sugar and the All About Bronze Palette.

Whats on your Christmas Wishlist?

Nanshy Blending Brush

Sunday, 14 December 2014

17 comments

Whilst looking through the products I recieved in my #sotonoctmeetup goody bag, I spotted a familiar bag! A gorgeous Nanshy Brushes bag caught my eye instantly and I was so excited to see what was inside. Nanshy brushes are something that I've wanted to try for ages, as the only makeup brushes I use are by Real Techniques, and although they're amazing, I really want to try out some new brands and expand my brush collection. Such a typical blogger I know.

I got a Nanshy Blending Brush* which made me so happy, as eye makeup is definitely my favourite part of my makeup routine. I just love creating new looks. I've been using this brush for a few weeks now and I'm so impressed. It applies eyeshadow evenly and blends effortlessly. This brush has made eye makeup a lot easier, as the brush I was using to blend before just didn't do the job properly at all which I've definitely realised now. I also like to use it to run colours through my crease, it's the perfect shape and size.

The brush itself is very appealing to look at, the handle is a shimmery white colour. The head of the brush is super soft, I couldn't stop feeling it when I first got it. Even after a few washes, it's still in exactly the same condition. I don't think a brush has ever worked so well for me. I'm definitely going to be expanding my collection now to include more Nanshy brushes.

Have you tried any Nanshy brushes? What are your favourites?

The Only Shimmers You'll Ever Need

Saturday, 13 December 2014

12 comments

As you probably know by now, I have fallen head over heels in love with a new makeup brand ever since they finally got a stand in my local superdrug. That new makeup brand is obviously Makeup Revolution. This brand have hit the bloggersphere like no other, I think their bargain prices and amazing quality have shocked us all. I bought their Essential Shimmers palette in November, in my Autumn Beauty Haul, which you can find here. I was actually shocked that I picked this palette over the Essential Mattes palette, because I am 100% more of a matte kind of girl, but it really stood out to me.

After a few days of playing with the shades, this palette quickly made it's way into my everyday makeup products. I was so impressed with the range of shades, it's full of coppery brown shades, which are perfect for this time of year. Although a lot of the colours look quite similar, they are either completely different to what you expect, or the compliment another colour in the palette really well. This has led to me being able to create looks effortlessly, as I find it so easy to pick colours that work well together just by looking at them. My favourite combination at the moment is the two shades that are the 5th shade in from the left and right. The lighter shade works well across the lid, and the darker shade is perfect to run through the crease to darken the look, but keep it natural and not over dramatic.

As you can see from the swatches, all of the shades have very high pigmentation. I'm writing this blogpost wearing these eyeshadows; its 1:30am and I've had them on since 4pm, they're still intact. That's insane quality, better than most high end brands actually! The size of the palette is a lot bigger than I expected it to be when I first saw them online, but they're still great for travelling etc. Retailing at £4 for 12 shades, this palette is such a steal. I'd recommend picking up any of the Makeup Revolution palettes, for £4 you can't say no really.

What's your favourite Makeup Revolution palette?

Faking Those Rosy Cheeks

Friday, 12 December 2014

9 comments

You're probably getting sick of seeing this blush on my blog, it's featured in two posts already, but I thought I'd do a full review of it for you, to show you how pretty it really is! If you've read my previous posts, you'll know that I actually have no idea what shade this is as ELF don't put shade names on their blushes, which really annoys me. I have 5 ELF blushes and some of them are quite similar, so I can't match them to swatches/photos on the site, which sucks really. ELF please start putting shade names on products!

Other than that, this blush is one of my all time favourite blushes, so I guess knowing what shade it is would help me. It's a lovely deep pink toned blush, with a little shimmer to it, but not so much that it's completely noticeable. A sweep of this on the apples of your cheeks leaves a perfect winter rosy glow, if you can't have the natural blushed look, fake it til you make it.

Seeing as this blush retails at £3.50, I wasn't expecting anything special really, maybe a bit of colour that lasted a few hours. I was so wrong, this blush is so pigmented, you have to be careful whilst applying otherwise you can be left to look like a bit of a clown. I usually swipe my brush across the blush in the pan, and then across my hand before applying lightly to the face. A light hand is key here. The blush applies evenly, and is so easily blended into the skin to achieve the look you want. On to weartime, I'm truly shocked. I wear this blush to college, and sometimes my days are 8+ hours, and although it made fade a tiny bit during the day, there's still a gorgeous flush of colour on my cheeks at the end of the day.

Top: Swatched
Bottom: Blended Swatch

If anyone wants to take a guess at what shade this is, feel free and please let me know! I just can't work it out, there's two I can't chose between. All ELF blushes are of the same quality for the same bargain price, so I'd recommend picking up any of them.

Have you tried anything from ELF?

Julianne's Red

Thursday, 11 December 2014

10 comments

I've never been a red kind of girl. I'm either nude or the darkest available. Red is a shade that has never worked for me, ever. I've never been able to pick up a red shade and say wow this really suits me. Well that was the case until a few weeks ago, when as a spur of the moment thing I picked up a lipstick from the Pure Reds Collection by L'Oreal.

I chose the shade Julianne's Red, this was because they didn't have Blake's Red, and I think the other's were out of stock too. I'm actually quite glad they were though, as I've always felt comfortable enough to wear a dark red, but never a bright red. Julianne's Red is a bright oranged toned lipstick, and when I bought it I actually thought I'd never wear it, but as soon as I put it on I was so surprised. I actually found a bright red that suits me.

The L'Oreal Pure Reds Collection was released as a follow up of their Nudes Collection, from which I own Cheyrl's Nude. The formulation of the two collections is very different though, I found the nude collection to be very sheer and didn't last very long on the lips at all. However, Julianne's Red has a gorgeous creamy satin texture, which applies to the lips evenly and smoothly, and the staying power is great. I can wear this lipstick without worrying about it being all over the place, but it can sometimes bleed into the lip line, so a lip liner definitely helps the staying power.

The lipstick is very highly pigmented, and it only takes one swipe to achieve an opaque lip colour. I would compare these lipsticks to MAC lipsticks easily, they're a bargain at less than half the price, retailing at £6.99. I can't wait to complete the collection by picking up the other 3 reds, especially Blake's Red. Maybe I'll look as gorgeous as her then, please?

Have you tried any of the Pure Reds Collection?

Are Pomegranates Really Metallic?

Wednesday, 10 December 2014

13 comments

Maybelline Colour Tattoos are simple one of the easiest makeup items ever. They're perfect for that 5 minute makeup, or for a quick swipe of colour across the lids. They're so creamy and blend effortlessly. I'd recommend them to anyone, complete beginners in makeup to the top makeup artists, they're just so easy and look flawless all the time.

Today I'm writing about one of my favourite shades that I recently picked up. Metallic Pomegranate has been on my wishlist since they came out, but everytime I went to buy it, it was completely out of stock everywhere. When I saw it in stock in my local Boots and noticed it was the last one left, I knew I had to buy it or I never would. I needed a berry colour for my eyes for the winter season, as all I owned at the time was berry lipsticks, since then my collection has expanded and you can see my top berry picks here.

This shade is a shimmery dark pink purple toned shade. It's like nothing I've ever seen before really, it appears to be different in each different angle the light hits it. It's just so unique. The formula is the same as described before, creamy and blendable. I actually love to apply this all over the lid and run it through the crease, and then apply a lighter shade on top all over the lid. It creates a base for the eyeshadow, and means you don't have to fuss about just putting it through your crease, which can be hassle sometimes.

The weartime of this colour tattoo is incredible, I can wear this to college all day which can be 8 hours+ and I'll come out at the end of the day with it all still intact, no creasing, there may be minimal fading, but I do have incredibly oily eyelids, and it isn't noticeable. I love that this is a shimmery shade, but it's not like someone's chucked glitter onto your eyelid, it's subtle and it reflects light nicely bringing more attention to your eyes. As you can see from the swatch below, this shade is very pigmented, so you don't have to use a lot of product to give an even base.

Do you own any Maybelline Colour Tattoos?

Rub Rub Rub

Tuesday, 9 December 2014

11 comments

It seems like a long time since I wrote a Lush post, a few weeks maybe, I'm addicted. I think I need to go to Lush Rehab, is that a thing? Today I'm here to talk to you about another one of Lush's scrubs, and it's another positive post, are you surprised? My love for Lush is like some people's love for food, it's something I need everyday. I don't think there's been a day in the past month where I haven't used a Lush products at least once a day. Does that make me madly, truly, deeply in love with Lush?

Anyway, back to the scrub! This is Lush's Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub. How have I only just noticed how catchy the name is? I can't stop saying it now. Rub Rub Rub is a bright blue scrub, a bit like the ocean, which links to it being a sea salt scrub. It has a citrus scent, which isn't overpowering, with hints of jasmine creating a blossom scent. I really like the scent as I find it really refreshing, which I love as it's like it's refreshing your skin too. It's described as a hair and body scrub, and although I've only used it on my skin, I can see it giving your hair a hell of a lot of volume and make it shiny as lemon juice is great for that too.

The amount of product you get in the pot is very generous for the price. It retails at £8.75 for 330g, which doesn't seem like a lot in the pot, but when you start to use it you realise that it's actually a very good amount. I've used this scrub a lot in the past two months, and I'm not even half way through it. I can see this lasting me a while. You don't need to use loads of product, as it goes a long way. I find this scrub really exfoliates the skin, leaving it smooth as all dry patches are removed, which is perfect for the winter season as my skin gets so dry.

If you're looking for that perfect all round scrub, this is the product for you. It can be used on the body or face to exfoliate and remove dry skin, or in your hair to add volume and shine. I am definitely going to be trying this in my hair soon as it's so flat and dead due to being dyed way too many times, oops! I'm nearly au natural now, I promise!

What's your favourite all rounder scrub?

How to Spend A Cold Dark Evening..

Monday, 8 December 2014

14 comments

Now that it's officially winter, the night's are drawing in and it's getting a lot colder. The dark weather puts me in such an awful mood, I hate it being dark and cold for many reasons, but it just shortens the day completely and I always feel like there just isn't enough time for anything. This usually leads to me stressing out about everything completely, and wanting to hibernate until the days get lighter.

Dark cold evenings can obviously only mean one thing to me, especially after a long stressful day, which is a pamper evening. I love my winter pamper evenings and I try to have them at least once a week to relieve all the stress and worry, and to stop me being such a moody cow. Anyone else?

My perfect pamper evening consists of a bath, facemasks, chocolates, full skincare routine, fake tan, candles and anything else I can find to lengthen the relaxing time.

After a long day, my favourite thing ever is to come home and jump straight into the bath, but when I have a pamper evening I change my routine slightly. First of all, I take off my makeup using my Garnier Micellar Water, this is the easiest way I've found to take my makeup off. It's just so quick and easy. After taking my makeup off, I'll exfoliate my face using my Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub as my no. 1 choice. Then I'll apply a facemask, I have a few favourites, but they're all from Lush, so I'd recommend any facemask from Lush, especially Catastrophe Cosmetic.

This post seems to be very Lush themed, I'm sorry but I'm just obsessed, oops. Continuing the Lush theme, I run myself a bath, on a pamper evening I will always use a bath bomb/bubble bar from Lush to make my bath pretty and softening on my skin. A few of my favourites are The Comforter Bubble Bar and Lush Luxury Pud Bath Bomb. This is where I open the chocolate, light a candle and relax. My recommendations on candles is endless, but any from Yankee Candle are amazing, especially Cherry Vanilla and Cranberry Ice.

When I eventually remove myself from the bath, this could be hours after I lose track of time so easily, I always moisturise my skin to keep it healthy and to remove any dry patches, or to prepare myself for fake tan. My go to fake tan products at the moment are from Cocoa Brown Tan. I've recently been using the 1 Hour Tan, and it applies smoothly and doesn't dry streaky at all. It gives such a flawless tan, and you can leave it on for 1, 2 or 3 hours depending on what shade you want your tan. I couldn't fake tan before I used Cocoa Brown products, now I love it. The perfect way to finish a pamper evening too, bronzed and glowing.

500 Follower Giveaway!

Sunday, 7 December 2014

52 comments

Recently I reached 500 followers on Bloglovin, which was a massive achievement for me seeing as I never thought anyone would actually want to read my blog! This year has been a rollercoaster, and although I neglected my blog a lot in the first 6 months of starting it, I've finally got into the swing of things and my blog is one of the things keeping me sane. I love writing my blog, and it just takes me out of the situation I'm in, and makes me feel like a part of a massive community which is just amazing. I've made so many amazing friends through blogging, and I really don't know what I'd do without them. I just wanted to give something back to you guys for being awesome and helping me grow my blog to what it is today.

The prize contents:

Glo & Ray Shimmer Shimmer Lipstick Set (3 lipsticks)

Makeup Revolution Hard Day Palette

Smooch Bronzer

Smooch Eyeshadow Duo - Trophy Wife

W7 Loads of Lashes

W7 Full Time Lip Colour

W7 Porefection Primer

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub

I'd also like to say thankyou to all the amazing companies involved;
Glo & Ray
W7 Makeup
Smooch Cosmetics
Lush Southampton
Makeup Revolution

THIS GIVEAWAY IS INTERNATIONAL

a Rafflecopter giveaway

November Favourites

Saturday, 6 December 2014

18 comments

I'm still in shock that we're nearly a week into December, where has this year gone?! I'm not complaining though, this year has been a massive roller coaster and I cannot wait for it to end. It's safe to say 2014 was never meant to be my year; breakups, a fallen apart family and an injury that prevents me from playing sport for at least a year, should I go on? Hopefully 2015 will be a better year for me all round.

Anyway, onto my favourite things from the month of November! First up is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer*, I got a sample of this at the Southampton Smashbox Bloggers Event, and it's definitely my most loved product this month. It creates such a flawless base to apply makeup, I couldn't ask for more, a full review is coming very soon! The L'oreal Julianne's Red Lipstick has been on my lips so much this month, seeing as I picked this lipstick up thinking it wouldn't suit me and it would probably sit in my makeup collection for a while before being used, I'm actually shocked. This is the perfect bright orange toned red. I cannot get enough of it, and I'll definitely be going back to purchase the rest of the reds collection.

A Makeup Revolution product was destined to make it's way into my favourites, but my most used was definitely the Essential Shimmers palette, I've been using this everyday. The colours are so versatile and you can create so many looks from the 12 shades, they compliment each other so well and look amazing on the eyes, and that's coming from a matte kind of girl. Lush's Bubblegum Lipscrub has been a lifesaver for me, I recently run out of my Popcorn Lipscrub, and only had a Bubblegum one left which I never used to be a fan of, but this month has changed my mind. I love the taste of this product now, it's been my sweet fix for the month, and I may have eaten a little too much of it, oops!

I've finally come out of my Real Techniques comfort zone and tried something different. This Nanshy Blending Brush* has completely changed my view on makeup brushes, and now I can't wait to pick up more from Nanshy. It's such a soft brush, that applies and blends perfectly. I really couldn't ask for more from this brush. It's pretty too; typical blogger. Lastly is a non-beauty favourite for once! My love for Yankee Candles is insane, I'm surprised they haven't featured on my blog before, but as the nights get colder and darker I light my candles a lot more. My favourite scents have been Cranberry Ice and Cherry Vanilla. I'm such a food scent person.

What were your November Favourites?

Rocket Volume Lashes

Friday, 5 December 2014

6 comments

After recently running out of my favourite mascara, Benefit's They're Real, I wanted to try out some of the other mascara's in my stash, so I didn't have to spend £19 when I had about 5 mascaras that I hardly use. I picked out Maybelline's Rocket Volume Express Mascara first, I think I'd only used this mascara a few times before, and I was never really wowed by it. Over the past two months or so, I've been using this mascara everyday, it has completely replaced my Benefit mascara. It does exactly the same job, for a fraction of the price!

Retailing at £7.99, it's less than half the price of They're Real. This mascara lengthens lashes to the max, and does add volume; hence the name Rocket Volume. It really does live up to my expectations that I had when I first tried it!

As you can see, the brush is plastic; which a lot of people have hassle with, but I really couldn't use a mascara without a plastic brush. I just think it really aids in application, lengthening and preventing clumping. Saying that, they're very very painful when you accidentally stab yourself in the eye and cry making your makeup run. Very frustrating.

This is now my favourite mascara, and I'll be repurchasing it again and again. It just beats all the other mascaras I've used, but I still love my Benefit They're Real for the nights where I want to feel a little bit special. I'm a sucker for anything high end. Just me?

What's your favourite mascara at the moment?

Age Preparing Skincare

Thursday, 4 December 2014

6 comments

I've never been one for skincare at all, I'm just too lazy and never find the time. When I was sent this set of samples by Ark Skincare that all changed, I've actually stuck to a skincare routine for the past few weeks and my skin is feeling amazing. I completely understand the point of a skincare routine now, my skin constantly feels fresh and it's such a dream to apply my makeup. They have different ranges of skincare, tailored to your age and what your skin really needs at that age. I received the age prepare set, which is great for teens and early 30's!

This Age Prepare Set by Ark Skincare* contains a cleanser, exfoliator, skin purifying masque and a moisturiser. All the products are sampled sized, but they've got a reasonable amount in them and you really get your moneys worth. This set is just a perfect way to try out the products, and make sure they work for you, before splurging out, as everyone hates buying something that really doesn't work for them, don't they?After trying all the products out, I was actually surprised how much of a difference it made to my skin. Like I said, I'm not a massive skincare person, but now I'm really interested in looking after my skin after seeing the results from this set. I have a cleanse, exfoliate, masque then moisturise routine, which seemed to work perfectly.

The cleanser removes the last traces of makeup and dirt from the skin, and leaves it feeling fresh. The only problem I had with this cleanser was that I found it didn't lather at all like it said it would, but it still left my skin clean, I was just a bit confused by it not lathering. The exfoiliater is one of my favourite skincare products ever, the exfoliating pieces are a great size, and you can really feel them disappear as you massage it into your skin, which is something I've never found before. It removes dead skin from the face, and leaves it feeling smooth. Next up is the masque, I didn't use this everytime I completed the routine, I probably used it twice a week to give an extra deep clean. At first, I thought this mask wouldn't do a lot as it applies quite thin, but after applying it hardens on the skin and really gets to work. I usually washed it off after about 10 minutes, and I don't think my skin has ever felt so clean. It really impressed me, and I'm dreading the day I run out of it. The moisturiser was a product that didn't really wow me, it was just like my usual moisturiser. It has a thick consistency, which I don't really like when I'm applying it to my face, as I feel thin moisturisers soak in a lot quicker and easier.

Overall, this set is worth the money, but I don't think I'd buy the cleanser and moisturiser alone. The set retails at £28.00, making it £7 per product, you can purchase it here, or check out the whole Ark Skincare website here.

Winter in the Drugstore

Wednesday, 3 December 2014

12 comments

As Christmas is approaching, my bank balance is looking rather poor, actually it does all year round, but you know now especially. I've been trying to save my money, rather than splurging so this found me looking for some drugstore makeup bargains for the winter season, and I found some beauties. Some of these products I already owned, but they're too good not to share.

First up is eyes; both of these products are Maybelline Colour Tattoos which retail at £4.99 each. I have 6 shades, but these two are especially great for the winter as they're darker colours. The left shade is Metallic Pomegranate, which you may have seen in my Autumn Beauty Haul here. The other shade is On and On Bronze, which is a shade I've been loving since summer, it's so versatile and I find it looks completely different depending on what makeup you pair it with, so you can create so many looks with it. Metallic Pomegranate is a gorgeous shimmery purple shade, which looks gorgeous all over the lid, but I prefer to run it through the crease or under my lower lash line, to add some colour to a look.

Next up is my all time favourite blush for this time of year; this is an ELF Blush, and unfortunately I have no idea what shade it is because ELF don't label their blushes with what shade they are. But it's one of the darker ones on the website, and all their blush colours are gorgeous, so they're a great product. They retail at £3.50, what a bargain.

Lastly, the lip products! My favourite thing to mix up in winter; I love berry shades, but I also love a classic red lip. My top picks start off with Makeup Revolution's Reckless Lipstick*, you'll never guess how cheap this lipstick was, it was £1! Can a lipstick get any better?! The formulation is insane for the price too, it applies evenly to the lips and only takes one or two swipes to get an opaque colour. Reckless is a burgundy shade that I just love. Second on my list is L'oreal Paris Julianne's Red, I never ever thought this lipstick would make it's way into my life as it's a very bright red, and I just don't do bright reds. This lipstick completely changed my mind though, I think I'm actually starting to prefer them to my darker reds! Retailing at £6.99, it's a slightly more expensive choice, but it's so worth it. Last up is a more natural shade coming in the form of Kate Moss by Rimmel's 05, it's a lovely dark pink lipstick which I like for days where I want to have a more nude look, or when I'm wearing some crazy eye makeup that I'm not confident enough to pair with a dark or bold lip. It's a great everyday winter shade, retailing at £5.49.

Top-Bottom
Kate Moss by Rimmel 05
L'oreal Julianne's Red
Makeup Revolution Reckless
ELF Blush
Maybelline Colour Tattoo On and On Bronze
Maybelline Colour Tattoo Metallic Pomegranate

What are your top winter drugstore picks?

New Look Winter Wishlist

Monday, 1 December 2014

14 comments

Now that it's December 1st, it's now 100% winter, and the weather is truly proving that. It's absolutely freezing at the moment. I have now realised that I don't actually own winter clothes. I have 3 coats but they all smell like horses and my most worn shoes are converses which aren't the warmest shoes in the world. This realisation made me browse the internet for a few hours to pick out some items that I'm dying to get. You're probably looking at the items thinking some of them don't look very warm and snuggly, but I've gotta dress for the festive season too!

My main item of need is definitely a new coat. As I said, I have coats, but they've all been worn to the horses and you can never get rid of that smell. The first two coats are the same, but in different colours, this is something I do a lot. I'll like a style and buy it in so many colours and hardly every wear all of them, but oh well. The burgundy version is so on trend right now, everything burgundy is making it's way onto my wishlist. The black version is just so practical and easy to style, it had to be here. The next coat just screams winter, it's fluffy and looks so warm. I just need it.

Tartan is something that always crops up in winter for me, but I've never bought anything. This year I'm planning to take the plunge and buy a few items as they're so wearable. Capes are the bomb at the moment, everyone has one, expect me so obviously this one made it onto my list. The chiffon shirt is perfect to just throw over a simple top to add an extra layer, as I don't really do shirts at all on their own. The two monochrome tartan styles are kind of my transition to tartan I'd say, they're easy to wear and will help me decide whether the trend will suit or not. Also the dress is perfect for the days when I want to dress up a bit but the cold is screaming at me.

The playsuit is probably the most unpractical item ever, but I love playsuits and the festive season is approaching us very soon, so I thought they'd be perfect to dress up with some strappy heels, a nice jacket, some jewellery and a pretty clutch. They can also be dressed down in the day with some tights and a pair of chelsea boots. Perfectly transitional between day and night.

As nights are getting colder, we all want something to snuggle up in with a hot chocolate. When I spotted this dressing gown, I almost screamed. It's so cute, and it's got ears, like want more can you want? I'm a sucker for anything animal like, I think I own about 8 animal onesies, and I just bought a fluffy sheep one, I need help. Lastly, I was looking for some new winter boots as I have a few pairs but they're all quite high heeled, which isn't practical when it's slippy. I saw this burgundy pair and I kept going back to look at them, and I really like them. They're not something I'd usually go for as all my shoes are black, literally, but I'm completely won over by this pair.